Cam Ward healthy, focused on next step as Michigan State opens season

Michigan State sophomore forward Cam Ward is looking to take another step forward after an injury-plagued freshman season, but his second year with the Spartans has already brought an early setback.

Ward suffered a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss MSU’s first exhibition game and time in practice. Despite the missed time, Ward said he is healthy and ready to contribute as the Spartans prepare for Tuesday night’s exhibition against UConn.

“I’m feeling good. I’ll be all go for the UConn game,” Ward said. “We’ve got big matchups coming up as far as their guys. They have good personnel.”

The injury comes after Ward dealt with a sprained wrist during his freshman campaign, an issue that began during the Spartans’ matchup against North Carolina in November.

At the time, Ward didn’t expect the injury to have such a significant impact on the rest of his season.

“We talked that day and just thought it was like, oh, it’s okay, it’s nothing crazy,” Ward said. “And then it ended up being crazier than what we thought.”

Before the wrist injury, Ward had shown flashes of his potential early in the season.

In just his second game, Ward recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds in MSU’s 69-66 victory over No. 14 Arkansas. The performance marked his first career double-double and gave Spartan fans an early look at what the former four-star recruit could bring to the program.

However, the wrist injury slowed that momentum.

Ward finished his freshman season averaging 5.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game across 34 games. He shot an efficient 58.9% from the field and recorded 16 blocks.

Despite the injury and inconsistent playing time, Ward still found ways to contribute, particularly during the Spartans’ NCAA Tournament run.